Afghanistan — Forces Detain Suspects, Seize Drugs, Weapons

KABUL, April 28, 2010 — Afghan and inter­na­tion­al forces detained numer­ous sus­pect­ed insur­gents and seized ille­gal drugs and weapons in recent oper­a­tions in Afghanistan, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

A com­bined Afghan-inter­na­tion­al secu­ri­ty force pur­su­ing a Tal­iban com­man­der in Hel­mand province last night detained sev­er­al sus­pects west of Mar­ja after intel­li­gence infor­ma­tion indi­cat­ed mil­i­tant activ­i­ty in a rur­al area. Dur­ing a search of two com­pounds, the secu­ri­ty force uncov­ered mul­ti­ple rifles, a shot­gun and about 200 pounds of heroin. 

Also in Hel­mand last night, a com­bined force search­ing a com­pound in a rur­al area north of Mar­ja cap­tured a Tal­iban leader believed to be respon­si­ble for a local intim­i­da­tion cam­paign and order­ing attacks on coali­tion forces. Sev­er­al oth­er sus­pect­ed insur­gents also were detained, and the secu­ri­ty force also found more than 200 pounds of heroin. 

The nar­cotics trade funds and sup­ports the insur­gency and con­sti­tutes a direct threat to Afghanistan, Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force offi­cials said. 

In Ghazni province last night, an Afghan-inter­na­tion­al force detained two sus­pect­ed insur­gents for fur­ther ques­tion­ing after inves­ti­gat­ing intel­li­gence reports of mil­i­tant activity. 

A com­bined patrol in Helmand’s Now Zad dis­trict searched a com­pound after being fired upon and found 300 to 400 spent small-arms cas­ings and four bags of opi­um weigh­ing 15 to 20 pounds each. A few sus­pect­ed insur­gents were detained for questioning. 

In Helmand’s Garm Ser dis­trict yes­ter­day, an Afghan-inter­na­tion­al patrol found 80 pounds of ammo­ni­um nitrate in an aban­doned build­ing. The Afghan gov­ern­ment has banned use of the fer­til­iz­er because it can be used to make explosives. 

In Badghis province’s Mur­gab dis­trict yes­ter­day, an ISAF patrol found a home­made bomb con­sist­ing of 30 40 mm grenades. 

Afghan forces in Kab­ul yes­ter­day found four 107 mm rock­ets. Also in Kab­ul, work­ers dig­ging the foun­da­tion for a new mosque found two rock­ets and air defense ammunition. 

Kab­ul police found a cache con­tain­ing 61 rock­et-pro­pelled grenades April 26. 

No shots were fired and no Afghan civil­ians were harmed dur­ing these oper­a­tions, offi­cials said. 

Source:
U.S. Depart­ment of Defense
Office of the Assis­tant Sec­re­tary of Defense (Pub­lic Affairs)